Improvement in bird and similar cages



B. A. DRAYTON. Bird and Similar Gages.

No. 218,505 Patented Aug. 12,1879.

l I 00 l y ATTORNEYJ,

NJFETERS. FHOTOLITNOGRAP}QER. WASHINGTON. D

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN A. DRAYTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN BIRD AND SIMILAR CAGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 218,505, dated August12, 1879; application filed June 5, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN A. DRAYTON, of New York, in the county ofNew York and State of New York, have invented new and valuableImprovements in the Manufacture of Bird and Similar Gages and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the construction and operation of the same, referencebeing had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification,and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to the manufacture of metallic cages, especiallyof that class known as bird-cages. Heretofore bird-cages have been madeof single upright wires soldered, riveted, or locked t0.the horizontalbands or Wires of the cage. This construction of a cage is objectionablefor several reasons. quires considerable labor and time to make the cagewith the soldering, riveting, or locked connections, involves expensiveconstruction, and renders the cage weak as well as heavy.

The main object of this invention is to simplify the construction andcheapen the cost of the cage, and to produce a bird cage that shall belight, strong, and neat.

My improvement consists, substantially, in the combination of thepunched bands and the double wires, whereby the bent portions of theupright wires, coming in contact with the lower band, form a support, aswill be hereinafter more fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

To enable those skilled in the art to which my invention pertains tomake and use the same, I shall proceed to describe its construction andoperation, reference being had to the annexed drawings, showing theimprovements applied to one class of cages.

1n the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the domeof a bird-cage. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the punched metallicstrip. Fig. 3 is a front view of the double wire. Fig. 4 is aperspective view of the double wire, showing the upper ends curved andbrought together.

I take strips of metal (bright metal) A to form the horizontal bands ofthe cage, of a uniform width and thickness, and pass them It rethedrawings.

through a self-feeding vertical press, which produces, by means of dies,at intervals, two depressions, a a, at the upper and lower edges, and acentral rise, b, in the band, as shown in Fig. 2, and this operation ofpunching (forming eyes) continues until the metal strip is passedthrough the press. These transverse depressions a a and raised portionsb, corresponding to the shape and size of the wires to be used, are atequal distance from each other, and form eyes or openings 0, throughwhich the upright double wires are passed. The strip is now out off atthe proper length when a round cage is to be formed, and the endssoldered together or otherwise secured, forming a ring-band. In this waytwo or more horizontal bands for the cage are made.

The wires for forming the vertical or upright Wires are cut off at agiven length ascertained in advance for the known size cage, and arebent or turned by suitable machinery or tools at or near the middle, andextend at right angles the distance of one space between the formed eyeson the band, and then are bent upwardly, and its portions are runparallel with each other, as shown in Fig. 3 of The wire thus doubledconsists of the two vertical wires 01 d and the connecting cross-bar e,the latter serving as a support for the lower band.

The double wires of the shape substantially as shown in Fig. 3 are nowattached to the horizontal ring-bands B by passing the free ends d 01through two of the eyes 0 of the lower band, and continuing theoperation through the bands above, and, finally, bringing the ends ofthe Wire together at the top, substantially as shown in Fig. 4, forpermanent attachment to the eyelet G.

The cross-bars c of the double wires form a perfect support or rest forthe lower band, B, where the greatest strain of the cage comes, therebymaking it an impossibility for this part of the cage in any way tobecome loose or displaced.

Thus it will be seen that the upright wires passing through the eyes ofthe horizontal bands rest in the outer pressure in the eye of the band,and on the inward pressure on the material of the band above and belowthe central raised portion of the eye, and the band is held firmly inplace by frictional contact, the object being to dispense with solderingmaterial or looking devices.

It is well known that the strain on a cage is at the point of suspensionand at the lower band, and it is principally at the latter where thebreakage takes place. The strain on the band is caused by the weight ofthe movable bottom of the cage and the attachments.

By the arrangement of the double wires in my improvement, the cage restson the cross bars or bent portions of the wires, and the bottom beingfastened by suitable means, the strain is thrown on lower band, bracedby the bent portions of the double wires, and all liability to breakageor displacement by ordinary means is obviated, and the wires are notliable to pull out at the base.

It is obvious that these improvements are applicable to cages forsquirrels and mice.

What I claim is- 1. In a bird or similar cage, the combination of aseries of double wires and a bottom horizontal band provided with acorresponding series ot'eyes for the double Wires, substantially asdescribed, and for the purpose set forth.

2. A bird or similar cage the body of which is formed of two or morehorizontal bands having a series of eyes to sustain an outer and aninner pressure, and a plurality of double wires passed through the eyesof the bands, and held in place by frictional contact, substantially asset forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

BENJ. A. DRAYTON.

Witnesses:

HARRY W. LAWRENCE, ALVAN DRAY'roN.

